In Florida, wild hogs tear up cemetery graves every night, and managers say 'it's like a hurricane'

Nighttime visits from wild hogs have left a Florida cemetery badly torn up as the animals dig for food. Staff at Flagler Memorial Gardens in Flagler Beach say the aftermath is so severe that "it's like a hurricane happened."

What's happening?

Cemetery managers told WKMG ClickOrlando that more than a dozen wild hogs and piglets have been entering the property after dark and tearing through soil around burial sites while foraging.

Sal Passalaqua, manager at Flagler Memorial Gardens, told the outlet that workers first found the damage in newer parts of the cemetery, but it later spread into other areas. He added that the graves themselves had not yet been affected, though the hogs were digging farther down into the earth as they searched for food.

"They root down about 12 inches, so they've taken up about that much earth on top of the grave itself," Passalaqua said to WKMG.

Even as the damage keeps returning, cemetery workers have been cleaning headstones and markers in an effort to preserve dignity for families visiting their loved ones.

Why does it matter?

The damage comes amid growing conflict between humans and wildlife as development reshapes natural landscapes. In this case, some believe construction near Palm Coast and Flagler Beach could be driving the hogs to forage in new regions, WKMG ClickOrlando reported.

Wild hogs can also carry significant financial consequences by damaging landscaping, fields, and public spaces while creating safety concerns for residents and pets.

What's being done?

Passalaqua said, as reported by WKMG, the cemetery tried to locate a trapper with enough capacity to handle the situation. He said trappers were already stretched thin and did not have enough traps for the number of hogs in the region.

He explained to the outlet the new strategy was to bait the hogs away from the cemetery and follow their movements with cameras before removing them. According to Passalaqua, trappers had already identified the animals' route, their numbers, and the times they usually appeared, WKMG reported.

After the hogs are removed, cemetery staff expect restoration work to begin. Passalaqua said the combined cost of trapping and repairing the grounds could reach thousands of dollars.

"We're taking this very seriously," Passalaqua told WKMG. "Once the trapper has the hogs removed from the property, we can then start restoration."

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